Naples’ SSM (Scuola Superiore Meridionale) launches funded Ph.D. programs and calls for applications.

In particular, the School has released a call for 42 Ph. D. scholarships for an equal number of programs, among which six in archaeology and six for textual/ language studies.

Programs

Archaeology and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean. Historical research, preservation, cultural heritage, management, and use

The PhD in “Ancient Mediterranean archaeology and cultures. Historical research, preservation, cultural heritage, management, and use.” is an advanced course of study and research based on a multi/interdisciplinary approach, at the end of which students will defend a thesis based on their original and independent scientific work.

The focus of interest is on archaeological heritage approached as research in the field of classical antiquities, ranging from historical and literary research to preservation, management and promotion.

The doctoral programme aims to train the student in the contextual reading and interpretation of objects, spaces, practices and cultural, social, economic and religious phenomena. This training is provided through studies of cases relevant to ancient Mediterranean civilizations and the management of their complex cultural heritage. Of particular current relevance in the modern world are the themes of the mobility of people, ideas, technologies and objects, of the hybridisation of cultures and their connectivity practices. Objects, spaces, practices and phenomena are considered with relation to their physical aspect, their survival in the modern world and the necessary phenomena of their manipulation, destruction, oblivion, rediscovery, presentation and communication.

The training model of the doctoral programme is based on the balance between theoretical training and practical research and activities related to all of the functions carried out by a National Trust Body and by an Archaeological Museum in Italy, as well as by Museums and administrations of foreign countries that are particularly qualified.
Particular focus is placed on Italy, both as the training base and as a case study, considering the deep complexity of its unparalleled cultural heritage which has over the centuries generated specific know-how in the field of research, management and conservation. This focus can be effectively broadened for the students with experiences abroad, particularly with relation to the aspects of public engagement, promotion and professional training.

Am I eligible?

The disciplines for which the teaching staff can offer a level of training and preparation equal to the best international institutions are: Archaeology; Prehistory and Protohistory; the History of Classical Art; Cultures of the Ancient Near East, of the Middle East and of Africa; Latin Language and Literature; Greek Language and Literature; Ancient History; Restoration and History of Architecture; Cultural Heritage Legislation.

The program is aimed at students who already hold an MA Degree (or equivalent), who are strongly motivated, have a solid personal grounding, a wide knowledge of languages and wish to take a multi and interdisciplinary approach to this subject.

The doctorate proposes to train scholars capable of contributing to the advancement of research and university teaching, as well as highly qualified professionals capable of operating in the sector of safeguarding, administration, promotion and communication of the archaeological heritage. Each student will be required to spend at least one year (also broken into several terms or semesters) in foreign universities, research institutes, archives and libraries.

The official languages of the Ph.D. program are Italian and English. Courses and seminars may be held in Italian or English.

Number of scholarships: 6
Coordinator: Prof. Massimo Osanna

Info: [email protected]

Texts, Traditions and Book Cultures. Italian and Romance Studies

The course offers a multi-disciplinary training program based on study of the Italian and romance literary tradition as it is organized around the forms of the book, manuscript and print. At the centre of the research is the literary work, which is conceived as the final product of a series of procedures: aesthetic, historical-cultural, material. Starting from the concrete texts, including the ways and formats in which they were conceived and then transmitted over time, the doctoral school is necessarily built on transversal studies, from the history of literature to stylistics, from philology to the history of books and publishing.

Am I eligible?

Candidates for the Ph.D. are normally expected to hold a master’s degree (or equivalent qualification) in a subject relevant to the program. The Ph.D. program in Texts, traditions and book cultures. Italian and Romance studies is conceived for motivated students who also have different language skills and are willing to study in a multi and interdisciplinary environment.

The program aims to train highly qualified scholars and managers who can work in the fields of linguistic, philological, literary, archival and library research. Thanks to the acquisition of notions, theories and tools, also digital, they will be able to read, reconstruct and to interpret critically the historical, formal dynamics of textual and cultural traditions that contribute to the Italian literary system and the Romance area. They will also be able to give relevant contributions to academic research and education at universities, and to direct both public and private structures (such as libraries, archives, research centres) relying on their analytical skills, general view and comparison of problems, interdisciplinary approach and international experience.

The official languages of the Ph.D. program are Italian, French, Spanish and English; courses and seminars may be held in Italian, French, Spanish and English.

Number of scholarships: 6
Coordinator: Prof. Andrea Mazzucchi
Info: [email protected].

Features

Duration of each doctoral program: 4 years
Scholarship: 19,000€ per annum. Every grant comes with extra funds for research activity and period of study abroad.

How to Apply

Deadline: 30 June 2020 at 2:00 pm. You may find the call for applications here.  Apply online through the link here.